Wheeled acrobatic figure toy



May 16, 1939. R. REGENBURGH. sR

WHEELED ACROBATIC FIGURE TOY Filed Sept. 23, 1938 Rz'cum egeiz hcrgsz,

ATTORN EYS Patented May 16, 1939 PATENT OFFICE WHEELED ACROBATIC FIGURETOY Richard Regenburgh,

Sr., Totawa Boro, N. J.

Application September 23, 1938, Serial No. 231,443I

5 Claims.

This invention relates to toys, and its general object is to provide awheeled toy that includes iigures mounted to perform acrobaticmovements, and the mounting means thereof is associated with the wheelsin a manner to cause said movements when the toy is propelled eitherforward or backward, with the result it will be obvious that my toy willprovide much fun and amusement especially for a child, as it is beingpushed or pulled thereby.

A further object is to provide a wheeled acrobatic figure toy that canbe propelled with minimum effort, is simple in construction, inexpensiveto manufacture, and extremely eflicient in operation, use and service.

This invention also consists in certain other features of constructionand in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to behereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing andspeciflcally pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the toy which forms thesubject matter of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken approximately on line 2-2 of Figure1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be noted that my toy in theform as shown, includes a wagon like structure provided with a body madeup of relatively wide parallel side wall members I having a rectangularshaped frame 2, secured to the upper portions thereof, and the sidemembers have axles 3 journaled therein and bridging the same to extendtherethrough, with wheels 4 keyed or otherwise fixed to the outer endsof the axles, as best shown in Figure 2.

Secured to the side members of the frame 2 and rising therefrom fordisposal in superimposed relation with respect to the front and rearaxles, are pairs of relatively short uprights 5, with the uprights ofeach pair disposed in parallelism with each other, as shown, andbridging the uprights 5 are rods 6, there being a pair of rods for eachpair of uprights, with the rods of each pair of uprights disposed insuperposed relation with respect to each other and xed thereto.

Mounted on each pair of rods 6 is a pair of relatively long uprights 1providing what I term trapeze poles, and it will be noted as best shownin Figure 2, that the uprights I are provided with bearing openings 8extending transversely therethrough and through which extends the upperrods, while the lower rods extend through slots 9 disposedlongitudinally of the uprights l. The bearing openings are outwardlyared from the centers thereof, to allow for a rocking movement of theuprights 'l on the upper rods, which act as a fulcrum therefor, so thatupon rocking movement of the uprights 1, the upper and lower endsthereof will be moved toward and away from each other, but the uprights'I are held against slidable movement on the upper rods 6 by abutmentpins I0 that extend transversely therethrough, as best shown in Figurel, and it will be noted that the slots 9 are of suiiicient length toallow for free rocking movement of the uprights I.

'I'he uprights -I are of a length to extend a considerable distanceabove the xed uprights 5 and bridging each pair of the uprights 'I is atwisted flexible strand II which is preferably a piece of cord that isfixed to the upper ends in taut condition. Each of the strands II haveconnected thereto and normally depending therefrom a jointed figure l2shaped to simulate a trapeze perthe twisted portions thereof will causethe figures to swing and perform acrobatic movements, as will beapparent.

In order to rock the uprights I to bring about the movement thereof forthe purpose set forth,

I provide disk members I6 xed to each of the axles, and formed on theconfronting faces of the disk members I6 are undulated cam surfaces I'lfor disposal in the path of rollers I8 journaled on pins I9 secured toand depending from the lower ends of the uprights 'I, as best shown inFigure 2.

'I'he disk members I6 also act as abutment means for the body of theWagon structure, and as the rollers I8 contact the cam surfaces, the

body will be held in spaced relation with respect u to the wheels. Theends of the body are preferably reduced for disposal inwardly from theupper portions thereof, and the forward end of the frame 2 has securedthereto the bracket members 20 with a pin bridging the same, and a.

handle 2| is pivotally connected to the pin to be used for propellingthe toy as will be apparent.

From the above description and disclosure of the drawing, it is believedthat it will be obvious that either a forward or backward propellingmovement of the toy through the medium of the handle 2l, will result inthe gures performing their acrobatic movements, as upon rotation of thedisk member I6, in either direction, pressure will be applied andreleased with respect to the lower ends of the uprights 'l by theundulated cam surfaces, for rocking the uprights 1, to expand andcontract the strands Il, so as to wind and unwind the twisted portionsthereof t0 bring about the movement of the gures as set forth.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages andnovel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction andin the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided thatsuch changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A toy comprising a body, ground engaging wheels for said body,uprights carried by said body and fulcrumed for rocking movement,flexible means bridging the upper ends of said uprights and securedthereto in taut condition, a jointed figure fixed to the flexible meansand the latter being twisted to cause swinging movement of the figureupon rocking movement of the uprights, and means for rocking theuprights and operated from the wheels upon forward and backward movementof the toy.

2. A toy comprising a body, axles journaled to the body, ground engagingwheels xed to the axles, uprights carried by said body and fulcrumed forrocking movement, flexible means bridging the upper ends of saiduprights and secured thereto in taut condition, jointed figures fixed tothe iiexible means and the latter being twisted to cause swingingmovement of the figures upon rocking movement of the uprights, cam meansfixed to the axles, and means on the lower ends of the uprights andengaged with the cam means for rocking the uprights upon forward andbackward movement of the toy.

3. A toy comprising a body, axles journaled to the body, ground engagingwheels fixed to the axles, means secured to and rising from the body,superimposed rods bridging and secured to the rising means, uprightsmounted for rocking' movement on the upper rods and slidable movement onthe lower rods, flexible means bridging the upper ends of said uprightsand secured thereto in taut condition, jointed gures xed to the flexiblemeans and the latter being twisted to cause swinging movement of thefigures upon rocking movement of the uprights, and means secured to theaxles and having the lower ends of the uprights.A engaged therewith forrocking said uprights upon forward and backward movement of the toy.

4. A toy comprising a body, axles journaled to the body, ground engagingwheels fixed to the axles, means secured to and rising from the body,superimposed rods bridging and secured to the rising means, uprightsmounted for rocking movement on theupper rods and for slidable movementon the lower rods, flexible means bridging the upper ends of saiduprights and secured thereto in tautcondition, jointed figures fixed tothe flexible means and the latter being twisted to cause swingingmovement of the figures upon vrocking movement of the uprights,

undulated cam members xed to the axles, rollers journaled to thelowerends of the uprights and engaged with the cam members for rocking theuprights upony forward and backward movement of the toy, and a vhandlefor the toy and pivotally secured to the body.

5. A toy comprising a body, ground engaging Wheels for Vsaid body,relatively short uprights secured to said body, superimposed rodsbridging the uprights and'secured thereto, relatively long uprightshaving bearing openings therein with the upper rods extendingtherethrough, said bearing openings being shaped for rocking movement ofthe long uprights on the upper rods, said long uprights having slotsextending longitudinally thereof with the lower rods extending throughthe slots for slidable movement of the long uprights on `the lower rods,flexible means bridging thelupper ends of the long uprights and securedthereto in taut condition, jointed figures xed to the exible means andthe latter being twisted to cause swinging movement of the figures uponrocking movement of the long uprights, means for rocking the longuprights and operated from the `wheels upon forward and backwardmovement of the toy, and a handle for the body.

RICHARD REGENBURGH, SR.

